Gang Investigation Nets 6 Alleged 'Brown Pride Locos' Members

Six alleged members of the "Brown Pride Locos" gang were arrested and charged with racketeering as part of an 18-month investigation, the Bradenton Police Department announced Wednesday.

Brown Pride Locos is one of the largest gangs in Manatee County, according to Officer Pieper of the BPD's Gang Unit and the investigation's case agent. Its members have been involved in everything from firebombings to drive-by shootings to burglaries in the Bradenton area in recent years, Pieper said.

"Their crimes terrorize this community," Pieper said.

The six reputed gang members — all of whom are from Bradenton — were identified as:

• Natalio "Lonely" Deleon, 22
• Juan Carlos "Lazy" Hernandez, 22
• Jessie Scott "Bola" Fuentes, 18
• Jason "J" Molina, 25
• Raul "Sleep" Mondragon, 21
• Moises "Cartoon" Antunes Jr., 23

Investigators from the BPD's Gang Unit and Street Crimes units — in conjunction with the office of State Attorney Earl Moreland, the Office of Statewide Prosecution and the Manatee County Sheriff's Office — spent a year and a half building their case according to the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act, Pieper said. They had to show that the Brown Pride Locos were an ongoing criminal operation and that the men involved were a part of that operation.

"People need to know we can't back down and can't be intimidated by them," Pieper said.

Sheriff's office spokesman Dave Bristow said the county's gang situation "has gotten progressively better since we've been doing these investigations."

The arrestees were each charged with one count of racketeering and one count of conspiracy to commit racketeering, according to a news release. The men are being held at the Manatee County Jail with bonds set at $1 million apiece.